Until 2026, Benzema has a valid contact at the club from Jeddah, where he is expected to earn up to 200 million euros a year. After a few months, however, the story begins to look rather different than the one the Saudis no doubt drew up.
Perhaps the Lyon native just forgot that he and his teammates are due to report to coach Marcelo Gallardo for training on Friday, who incidentally replaced Nuno Espirito Santo in November.
However, if we describe the events in a broader context and put them into perspective, it is more likely that the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner knew exactly what he was doing. A
ccording to sources in the Asian country, this is not the first time that a dereliction of duty on his part has occurred. Before the end of last year, it should have been three times. Gallardo did not mess around with his charge and did not include him for Sunday's trip to the United Arab Emirates.
It's hard to know if Benzema is that bothered by this fact. More likely, though, he's happy to have peace of mind at the moment. There are rumours that the player is unhappy in his current position.
Apparently, by his decisions, the Al Ittihad management is hinting that he wants to leave during the winter. Other players operating in Saudi Arabia are also said to be unhappy, with Jordan Henderson at Al Ettifaq and Roberto Firmino at Al Ahli also reportedly eager for a transfer.
